Learning to play a string instrument like the violin takes a lot of practice. During the first year of training in particular, beginner violin students can find it a challenge to cope with all of the new ideas. Not only must you learn new physical skills, if you’ve never studied music before, there are a number of new musical concepts to grasp, such as notation and intonation. These skills take time to develop.
Read More
For all you students out there, listening to music while you study is as natural as breathing. Yet we don’t need science to tell us how greatly music can impact our moods, which begs the question: Do some genres of music facilitate studying better than others? Fortunately, science has been fascinated by this question, so we have some answers.
Read More
Participating in a masterclass is such a treasured experience that every aspiring musician should seek one out. However, don’t overlook the value in observing a masterclass as well. With so much educational content moving to online delivery, it’s not surprising that the classical music masterclass experience is available online now as well.
Read More
The good news is that learning to play the violin - or any string instrument - has lifelong benefits. However, if your child dreads practice time, or develops a negative association with practicing the violin, it can crush the spark of musical inspiration before it is time to begin.
Read More
Is your bowing arm tired, shaky, sore, tensed, not doing what it's supposed to? It could be that your bowing arm needs a break. Overuse injuries are nothing to scoff at. At best, they are uncomfortable and make practicing or playing regularly impossible. At worst, they lead to invasive surgical treatments or permanent damage.
Read More
As a beginning and intermediate string musician, you've spent the majority of your time looking at a single part of music - yours! Meanwhile, the conductor (or your instructor) and the pianist had a full score - meaning all of the written parts of the whole on a single page.
Read More
Ever since the “Mozart Effect” boom from the 1990s, people have connected listening to classical music with increased intelligence. Whether the findings of the original Mozart Effect study hold are a matter of considerable debate. What’s undeniable is that this one study sparked countless more studies intended to understand the interaction between music and the human brain.
Read More
Knowing the notes and playing them accurately, and in tune, is one thing. However, the quality of your tone has a marked effect on how a piece sounds and feels to the audience. If your tone is flat or lacks the rich, resonance double basses are known for, it will directly affect your inspiration and joy of playing, not to mention your performances.
Read More
Beginning violinists don't have the best reputation when it comes to sound quality. The reality is that except for the very rare virtuoso, all string musicians must start somewhere - and that somewhere often involves driving family members absolutely crazy as they go from eager beginner (shriek! twang! screech!) to confident player (rich! warm! smooth!).
Read More
Selecting the right music program for a class or a recital is always a challenge. You want to present something that balances the students’ skill level with an audience favorites, without being too redundant. And don’t forget about creating the program around a theme! Frankly, you’ve got a lot going on.
Read More
Learning to play a string instrument like the violin takes a lot of practice. During the first year of training in particular, beginner violin students can find it a challenge to cope with all of the new ideas. Not only must you learn new physical skills, if you’ve never studied music before, there are a number of new musical concepts to grasp, such as notation and intonation. These skills take time to develop.
Read More
For all you students out there, listening to music while you study is as natural as breathing. Yet we don’t need science to tell us how greatly music can impact our moods, which begs the question: Do some genres of music facilitate studying better than others? Fortunately, science has been fascinated by this question, so we have some answers.
Read More
Participating in a masterclass is such a treasured experience that every aspiring musician should seek one out. However, don’t overlook the value in observing a masterclass as well. With so much educational content moving to online delivery, it’s not surprising that the classical music masterclass experience is available online now as well.
Read More
The good news is that learning to play the violin - or any string instrument - has lifelong benefits. However, if your child dreads practice time, or develops a negative association with practicing the violin, it can crush the spark of musical inspiration before it is time to begin.
Read More
Is your bowing arm tired, shaky, sore, tensed, not doing what it's supposed to? It could be that your bowing arm needs a break. Overuse injuries are nothing to scoff at. At best, they are uncomfortable and make practicing or playing regularly impossible. At worst, they lead to invasive surgical treatments or permanent damage.
Read More
As a beginning and intermediate string musician, you've spent the majority of your time looking at a single part of music - yours! Meanwhile, the conductor (or your instructor) and the pianist had a full score - meaning all of the written parts of the whole on a single page.
Read More
Ever since the “Mozart Effect” boom from the 1990s, people have connected listening to classical music with increased intelligence. Whether the findings of the original Mozart Effect study hold are a matter of considerable debate. What’s undeniable is that this one study sparked countless more studies intended to understand the interaction between music and the human brain.
Read More
Knowing the notes and playing them accurately, and in tune, is one thing. However, the quality of your tone has a marked effect on how a piece sounds and feels to the audience. If your tone is flat or lacks the rich, resonance double basses are known for, it will directly affect your inspiration and joy of playing, not to mention your performances.
Read More
Beginning violinists don't have the best reputation when it comes to sound quality. The reality is that except for the very rare virtuoso, all string musicians must start somewhere - and that somewhere often involves driving family members absolutely crazy as they go from eager beginner (shriek! twang! screech!) to confident player (rich! warm! smooth!).
Read More
Selecting the right music program for a class or a recital is always a challenge. You want to present something that balances the students’ skill level with an audience favorites, without being too redundant. And don’t forget about creating the program around a theme! Frankly, you’ve got a lot going on.
Read More
